North Wales Cricket League, Division One

Connah’s Quay  218 beat Dolgellau  93 for 6 by 42 runs, revised calculated target 136 due to thunderstorm

THE 2024 season went out with a bang as a thunderstorm ended Dolgellau's last match of the season at Connah's Quay on Saturday.

In reply to the host's 218 all out Dolgellau stood at a precarious 93 for 6 from 22 overs, the revised winning total after 22 overs being 136, when the arrival of rain and thunder brought an end to proceedings, giving a 42 run victory to the Quay.

Visiting skipper Jack Williams won the toss and invited Connah's Quay to bat first, and faced with a general air of end of season malaise by the Dolgellau bowlers, accumulated runs steadily as they recovered from losing the wicket of Mali Auty with only one run on the board.

Auty was caught by the keeper Rob Humphreys from the bowling of Sion Francis.

Opener Josh Clarke plundered the bowling to get to a half century from 40 deliveries, striking 4 sixes and 4 fours, before he was dismissed 3 balls later for 52, well caught on the boundary by Stuart Evans, the bowler Lafras Van Vuuren.

Clarke and number three Brody Camp had an alliance of 76 in 13 overs for the second wicket, before Clarke's wicket fell.

There followed another stand of 76 to move it on to 153, between Camp and skipper Rhys Stout.

During the partnership Camp reached a well constructed 50 from 61 balls and was on 65 when Stout was caught behind by Humphreys for 22, Jack Williams the bowler.

There was a cluster of falling wickets as it went to 169 for 6 in 36 overs.

Liam Cappiello departed, caught and bowled by Williams who also ended Camp's 84 ball stay, caught by Humphreys for 70 with 9 boundaries.

Williams had a fourth victim, bowling Charley Grieg.

Darren Leach and Lee Davies added 34 in 5 overs to take it to 203 at which Davies was caught and bowled by Jaco Oosthuizen for 10 with a six.

Jaco took another 3 wickets as the innings closed on 218 from 44.5 overs. Leach made 34 including a six and 3 fours, bowled by Jaco in the 43rd over.

Nathan Gregory gave Humphreys a 4th catch behind the stumps and James Thomas was bowled, leaving Rhys Jones on 5 not out. 

The pick of the bowlers was Oosthuizen with 4 for 32 from 7.2 overs, supported by Williams' 4 for 36 from 9 overs.

The other wicket takers were Francis 1 for 36 from 9 and Lafras 1 for 41 from his 9. Lafras finished with 44 wickets for the season.

Morgan Yorke and Rumman Ahmed were without a wicket on this occasion.

Camp and Clarke were the Quay's batting stars but in the bowling department Lee Davies took all the plaudits, taking all six of the Dolgellau wickets to fall before the abandonment.

With the score on 22, Davies bowled Oosthuizen for 12. and after putting on 25 with Lafras, Yorke was also bowled having hit 6 fours in his 29 from 25 balls.

From 47 for 2 Dolgellau collapsed to 61 for 6, Davies bowling Evans and Francis and trapping Sam Jones and Richard Rees both lbw.

No more wickets were lost, Lafras and Callum Taylor having an unbroken alliance of 32 for the seventh wicket before the rains arrived, Lafras on 32 not out with 2 sixes and Taylor 10 not out, the truncated innings closing on 93 for 6.

To go with Lafras' 44 wickets for the season there were 781 runs and also 14 catches to complete a successful summer for him.

Davies claimed 6 for 32 from 9 overs as Connah's Quay won by 42 runs using the revised target method.

The Quay finished in 5th position and Dolgellau in 8th place.